Pulp and waste removing and fiber-cleaning machine.



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Patented July 6,

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W. S. GROVE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8.) 1913.

PULP AND WASTE REMOVING AND FIBER CLEANING MACHINE.

COLUMBIA PLANOURAPH co.. WASHINGTON. D. c.

l MMIII NESSES W. S. GROVE.

PULP AND WASTE REMOVINGAND FIBER CLEANING MACHINE.

APPLlc/moN FILED Nov. 8, 1913.

1,145,014. Patented July 6, 1915.

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, IIIWII r nnnnnn 1^ PLANQORAPH co., wAsHxNGToN. D. C.

W. S. GROVE.

PULP AND WASTE HEMOVING AND FIBER CLEANING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8, |913.

Lllo Patented July 6, .1915.

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@NTFU STATE@ PATENT flBFFllQlC.

WINFIELD S. GROVE, OF MANILA, PI-IILIPPINE ISLANDS.

PULP AND WASTE REE/LOVING- AND FIBER-CLEANNG MACHINE.

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Application filed November 8, 1913.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, vl/INFIELD S. GROVE, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Manila, Philippine Islands, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Pulp and lVaste Removing and F iber-Cleaning Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the invention is to provide a machine for removing any pulp and waste materials from a fibrous vegetable substance and for cleaning the fibers in the substance, in other words the invention is directed to a machine for isolating the fibers in a leaf or strip from the rest of the substance in the leaf or strip. rEhe machine is particularly adaptable for obtaining hemp liber, such as manila hemp, from the original leaves or strips and the machine is also adaptable for treating other i'ibrous substances such as sisal, maguey, pineapple leaves or the like.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a machine (a) which is light and at the same time capable of withstanding the comparatively heavy strains that are incidental to the pulp and waste removing and fiber cleaning operations, (o) in which the pulp and waste incident to said pulp and waste removing operation drops or is removed from the machine before said pulp or waste has a chance to collect or interfere with the machine or to otherwise hinder the proper working of the various parts of the machine, (c) in which the fibrous portions of the substance at the end of the pulp and waste removing and liber cleaning operations will be rendered comparatively dry and free of pulp, water and acids which may have formed a part of or which may have been in the substance at the time of the commencement of the operation, and (d) which is to a certain extent portable and which is also constructed so that the fibrous leaves or other work-pieces which are being treated can be readily inserted in the machine and readily removed without liability of injury to the operator.

As showing some specific embodiments of the invention reference is made to the drawings forming a part of this specification and in which drawings,

Figure 1 is an elevation of the delivery end of one form of machine; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine shown in Fig. 1 and is a view looking in the direction of the arrows shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a hori- Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Jnly 6, 1915.

serial no. 799,364.

zontal sectional view taken as on the line 3 8 of Fig. 1; Fig. el is a view partially in section of the opposing stock engaging members, the oppositely disposed carriers supporting said stock-engaging members and a portion of the chains for propelling said carriers whereby said stock-engaging members will be moved along the stock; and Fig. 5 is a plan view of one of the carriers.

The main frame of the machine comprises the lower horizontally and transversely extending base members 1, the upper horizontally and transversely extending cap members 9, the upper horizontally and longitudinally extending stringers 2', the main upright members 3, the inclined lateral braces 1l, the upper horizontally and longitudinally extending stringers 5, and the lower horizontally and longitudinally extending base members or stringers 6. The various members of this frame are properly secured together in any well known suitable manner so that the frame will be a stiff, rigid and unitary structure.

It will be manifest from what has preceded that the material operated upon in this machine is a fibrous substance, or fibrous substances. This material is frequently referred to as stock and often as work pieces.

A stock holding mechanism is indicated at 7. This mechanism grips the upper ends of the depending fibrous substances during their treatment by and between the opposing stock-engaging tools or decorticating members which are subsequently to be described. This stock holding or stock gripping mechanism is directly secured to 'the upper hori- Zontally and longitudinally extending stringers 2 and said stock gripping mechanism comprises the fixed jaw 8 and the companion pivoted jaw 9, both of which jaws extend horizontally and longitudinally. A set of tension springs 10, each spring having one end connected at 11 to the main frame uprights 3 and the other end 12 connected to the pivoted jaw 9 tends to normally hold said jaw 9 in retracted position whereby the stock can be readily inserted in the machine or removed therefrom. A foot operated mechanism is provided for forcing the lower free end of the pivoted jaw 9 toward the stationary jaw 8 whereby the stock can be held in operative position between said jaws. rlhis foot operated mechanism comprises the pedal lever 13, the link 14 and the bell crank lever 15 having the arm 16 which directly engages the pivotal jaw 9.

riihe stock or other fibrous substance which is to be treated is secured in place between the gripping or holding jaws 8 and 9. `When the stock is thus gripped it depends from said holding jaws and is engaged on opposite sides by downwardly moving decorticating members or tools which are located below said jaws. These decorticating members are preferably arranged in two sets, each of which comprises a knife or scraper and an opposing resisting member. The stock is placed in the machine so that the knife or scraper which first engages the stock removes the pulp and waste materials which are on the fleshy side of the substance, while the glossy or smooth side of the substance being treated is engaged by the resisting member first to engage the stock. New in the second set of stock engaging members the knife or scraper is preferablv arranged to engage the smooth or glossy side of the stock while the resisting member engages the side upon which the iieshy substance was originally located.

The resisting member in the last mentioned set is preferably provided with serrations, slits, corrugations or ridges which extend parallel to the fibrous substance being treated thereby tending to scrape out from between the fibers any pulp and water which may be left by the knife which immediately preceded it. rlfhese serrations also tend to distort to a slight extent the crosssectionai area of the leaf or substance being treated so that the opposing knife will operate to better advantage. As a matter of fact it is often desirable to have both of the resisting members provided with the serrations above referred to, but in some forms of the invention the resisting member or members may take the form of a scraper or knife so that in each set of stock-engaging members there may be a set of knives or Scrapers. it will be noted, however, that with the continued use of the machine the endless propelling chains may wear or stretch unevenly and in order that the knife pressure against the work-piece or stock may be properly opposed by the resisting members the latter are preferably provided with working or operating surfaces that are in general fiat as is shown in the drawings, thus insuring some working surface directly opposite the working surface of the knife or scraper even though the opposing carriages should become out of line.

Should the fibers in the substance being treated be bruised they will rot or become weakened in a comparatively short time and in order to eliminate as much as possible any bruising of the fibers il have found it desirable to have the opposing stock-engaging members mounted so as to yield relative to each other. In other words, in a manner to conform to the stock. This is preferably accomplished by having either one or both of the stock-engaging members yieldably mounted on carriers.

Now in Fig. 1 the first set of stock-engaging tools is indicated by 17 and the second set is indicated by 18. ln the first set the knife or scraping member is indicated by 19 and the resisting member by 20, while in the second set the knife is indicated by 21 and the resisting member by 22. From this figure it wili also be noted that the knife 19 engages one side of the work-piece or stock while the knife 21 engages the other side and it will be apparent that the knives 19 and 21 and the resisting members 20 and 22 each constitutes stock-engaging members. ita-ch of these stock-engaging members, namely, the decorticating tools, is mounted on a carrier 23 such as is shown more clearlv in Figs. 4f and 5. The carriers 28 are secured to the endless propelling chains 2-iwhich serve as means for drawing the stockengaging tools downwardly away from the stock-holding mechanism, namelv, the gripping mechanism '7, when the tools are in enga gement with the stock. These carriers 23 are provided with end rollers 25 which enter the spaces between the inner track or guard members 26 and the outer track or carrier resisting members 27. These inner and outer track members serve as means for maintaining the carriers 23 in their properly spaced relationship during their downward travel. These. inner and outward tracks may be secured in place by means of the brackets 2S and 29 which are connected to the uprights 3. The lower ends of the inner track members are also connected to the lower horizontal members, as at 30.

ln the form of machine shown in Fig. 1 the knives 19 and 21 are preferably of the same shape and construction and substantially the same remarks will apply to the resistance members 20 and 22 with the eX- ception that their working or operating surfaces may be of different constructions as above indicated, but since all of these stock members are mounted in substantially the same way a description of one set of said members will sufiice for both.

Now each of the carriers 23 is provided with the horizontally slotted portion 31. This slotted portion receives the stock engaging members which in turn extend longitudinally of the machine but which are mounted so that they can move in and relative to the carrier and horizontally and transversely relative to the machine as the stock-engaging members move downwardly along the work piece or stock. The stock-engaging members in each set are continuously forced toward each other by the springs 32 and the degree of pressure of these springs may be regulated by the adjusting set screws 33 which directly engage the plate 34 that in turn contact with the springs 32. This construction permits the controlling of the pressure of the stock-engaging members against the stock.

From an inspection of Fig. 5 it will be observed that these springs 32 have a wavy formation and that they engage both the resisting members and said plates 34. These springs, however, may be in the form of coils or other forms. The stock-engaging members are also provided with the slots 35 for receiving therein the bolts 36 which retain the members from being forced from the carrier by the springs 32 and for holding the said members in the carrier while the latter is making the turn prior to taking its upward path. The carriers 23 are provided with lugs for receiving the pins 37 which serve not only as means to connect the carriers to the chains but also as a pin to connect certain of the links in the chain together.

In the preferred form of construction of the knives or Scrapers such as 19 and 21, the' operating edge is sufficiently ro-unded so that it will not cut the fibers but so that it will cut, scrape or tear away the fleshy part of the substance being treated from the fibrous portion thereof. This edge portion of the knife is also shaped so that it points downwardly toward the work-piece or stock as the knife is being drawn downwardly along the work-piece or stock, and of course, as above indicated, the pressure of the knife or scraper against the stock is opposed by its corresponding resisting member.

The gripping or holding jaws 8 and 9, previously referred to, are located at the top portion of the machine and from what has preceded it will be manifest that the knives or Scrapers are constructed and arranged so that when they are being drawn along and in engagement with the stock-in a direction away from said holding j aws-the stock engaging edge-portion of each of the knives or Scrapers extends downwardly toward the stock The chains 24 travel over the upper sprockets 39 and over the lower sprockets 40 which are on the shafts 41 and 42, respectively. The chains are also maintained under sufficient tension by means of the jockey sprockets 43 which are mounted on the shafts 44 that are in turn carried on the bearings 45 which are adjusted by means of the screws 46. The lower pair of shafts 42 are provided with the coperating, intermeshing cog wheels 47 so that both sets of chain mechanisms will operate to simultaneously propel the tool carriers inthe proper direction. A tight and loose pulley 48, 49 is also provided on one of the lower shafts 42 whereby power can bereceived from any suitable source and a hand operated crank 50 is also provided to operate the various parts of the machine when it is desired to adjust the stock-engaging members.

Tn order that the stock may be readily fed to and removed from the machine there is also provided a stock feeding mechanism which is indicated by the reference character 51. This feeding mechanism preferably comprises an endless conveyer such as a rope 52 to which there are connected several spring clamps 53, which may be referred to as feeding clamps or feeding grippers, each of which is strong enough to support the work piece or stock while in transit. This rope travels over the grec-ved wheels 56, 56 that are on shafts which run in bearings 57, 57 that are secured in place on the longitudinally extending stringers 2. Each of the movable clamps on the rope engages an upper portion of the substance t`o be treated whereby the jaws 8 and 9 of the stationary clamp or work holding mechanism can engage immediately below the movable feeding clamps in order to grip and hold the stock when the stripping and cleaning operation is being carried out. The feeding clamps on the conveyer continue to clamp the work during the stripping and cleaning operation and also operate to transfer the work from between the stationary clamps toward the delivery end of the machine.

From an inspection of the drawings it will be observed that the feeding clamps 53 are moved horizontally and longitudinally above the gripping jaws 8 and 9 so as to feed the work along a horizontal path to and from the jaws 8 and 9. These feeding clamps or grippers may also be considered as stock carrying clamps or stock carrying grippers, since they both carry and convey the stock.

Immediately behind the second set of opposing too-ls, namely, set 18, there is also preferably provided a set of opposing brushes or padded blocks 54 that serve as means to both polish the liber and also to operate as a brake or retarding mechanism against the recoil of the fibers when the second set of opposing tools disengage the liber. From an inspection of Fig. 1 it will be noted that the initial set of opposing tools and the second set of opposing tools and the opposing' brushes or pads engage the work piece or stock in the sequence enumerated and that they are all arranged adjacent to each other so that they simultaneously engage the stock during their downward travel. Due to this arrangement these opposing members are all out of the path of the incoming or outgoing material when they are not operating upon the stock and hence the central longitudinal opening through the machine is not obstructed at that time.

1t will be apparent that several sets of stock-engaging tools may be employed and also that several sets of burnishing or polishing members may be utilized if a high degree of finish is desired. 1t will also be manifest that the knives or sc 'apers may be given several different shapes but that in practically all constructions the knives or Scrapers should have a comparatively dull or rounded stock engaging edge.

1n the actual operation of the machine shown in this application it is often desirable to build at several places in fiber producing fields the wooden or metal main frames which are to provide more or less of a permanent construction. To these main frames there is detachably secured the conveying or feeding means 51, the fixed clamp ing mecha.- nism 7, the tracks for the carriers and the mechanism for propelling the carriers along the tracks. Consequently all of these parts, except possibly the main frame, are con` structed in a manner to permit their being readily assembled in place and also so as to permit a ready disassembling of the same.

The conveying mechanism 51 is preferably secured in place as by bolting the bearings 57 upon the ends of the stringers Q while the fixed clamping mechanism 7 is also secured in place as by bolting to the same stringers. rlfhe guiding tracks are also secured in place by the brackets Q8 and 29 which are preferably bolted to the uprights 3 and the pulleys Lt8 and e9., the intermeshing gears ilf/T and the sprockets t() are all mounted on the shafts 4:2 so as to permit the said parts to be readily assembled and disassembled and the same is true of the sprockets 39 which are carried upon the shaft Ll1. 1t will thus be manifest that the operating members of this machine are, therefore, rendered more or less portable whereby they can be readily transferred from the main frame at one stripping or cleaning point to a main frame at another stripping or cleaning point.

'l he improvements herein set forth are not limited to the precise construction and ar rangement of the parts shown and described as they may be embodied in various forms and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

W hat l claim isf 1. A fiber isolating machine for cleaning hemp and the like, which machine comprises a pair of carriers, opposing liber isolating members constituting a set of decorticating tools on said carriers, said members being mounted so that one of them can yield relatively to its opposing member, gipping mechanism for holding the stock being` operated during the liber isolating operation, and mechanism for propelling` said carriers away from said grinning mechanism during said operation, one of said members being a knife or scraper that is constructed and arn ranged so that when it is being drawn along` and in engagement with the stock, away from said holding jaws, the stock-engaging edge-portion of the knife or scraper will eX- tend toward the stock but in a direction awav from the gripping mechanism.

2. 1n a machine of the class described in combination with a gripping mechanism which en rrages the upper ends of depending stock, of a set of carriers below the gril'iping mechanism. and a feeding mechanism located above the gripping mechanism. said carriers having opposing stock engaging members. one of saidengagina members being a knife or scraper which presses against the stock and which is opposed by the other stock engaging member, at least one of said members being yieldingly mounted on its carrier whereby it can adapt itself to the stock.

3. 1n a fiber isolating machine, the combination of a frame, tracks secured to the frame, propellingchains located between said track and carriers secured to the chain and movable along and upon the tracks.

ll. A fiber stripping machine comprisingfixed tracks, oppositely disposed carriers which travel downwardly on and along the tracks, one of said opposing carriers having mounted thereon a knife member which is opposed by a block member on the other opposing carrier during their downward movement, means comprising endless chains for propelling the carriers along the tracks and gripping means for supporting a depending fibrous substance while the latter is being operated upon by the knife member and opposing member when between the latter members during their downward movement.

1n a machine of the class described, the

combination of holding means which engage the upper end of a depending fibrous substance, downwardly movable opposing tools for engaging opposite sides of the same por` tion of the fibrous substance when supported by said holding means, carriers for said tools, tracks upon which said carriers ride during the downward movement of the tools and endless chains for propelling the carriers along the track, said opposing tools being yieldable relative to each other whereby they can adapt themselves to the substance being operated upon.

6. A fiber stripping and cleaning machine comprising means for holding the leaf or plant to be operated upon, stationary tracks arranged along and on opposite sides of the stock when the latter is held by the holding means in a position to be operated upon, cooperating carriers mounted on supporting wheels that roll along the tracks, endless (haine for propelling the carriers away from the gripping mechanism and for returning the carriers to the initial position, and

sprocket wheels over which said endless chains travel, which sprocket wheels are located between said tracks.

7. A machine of the class described having a main frame, a stock holding mechanism secured to said frame and comprising longitudinally extending gripping jaws, a stock feeding mechanism comprising an endless conveyer to which is secured feeding grippers that move longitudinally above the jaws of the stock holding mechanism in order to feed the stock to the last mentioned jaws, opposing liber isolating tools arranged to engage the stock when the latter is being maintained in depending position by said jaws of the holding mechanism and mechanism carried by the frame for moving said opposing tools downwardly when in engagement with the stock.

8. A fiber stripping mechanism comprising horizontally and longitudinally extending jaws for supporting and holding a substance having a fiber which is to be stripped and cleaned, vertically extending stationary track members located along and upon opposite sides of the substance when in operative position in the machine, coperating opposing longitudinally extending tools arranged to engage opposite sides of the substance being treated, means movable along the tracks for yieldably supporting the opposing tools, means for propelling said opposing tools along the substance being treated and away from said supporting and holding jaws, and longitudinally movable feeding jaws above said supporting and holding jaws for moving said substance to and from said supporting and holding jaws.

9. A machine of the class described comprising upright tracks, longitudinally eX- tending carriers arranged to engage said tracks, means for propelling said carriers downwardly along said tracks, a stationary supporting and holding mechanism comprising longitudinally extending gripping jaws located above said downwardly movable carriers, and feeding mechanism comprising an endless conveyer which is provided with feeding grippers, said endless conveyer being arranged so that the feeding grippers move longitudinally to position above the jaws of the stationary supporting and holding mechanism and subsequently longitudinally away from said position.

l0. A machine of the class described comprising a downwardly movable carrier, a stationary track at each end of the carrier, rollers on the carrier which press against the track, a yieldable stock engaging tool that extends from one end of the carrier to the other, means for retaining the tool on the carrier, spring means for forcing the too-l toward the stock being operated upon, and a pair of endless chains located between said tracks for propelling said carriers along the tracks.

ll. A waste removing and fiber stripping machine comprising in combination with the stock gripping mechanism thereof of a primary or initial set of opposing tools comprising a knife or scraper', a second set of opposing tools comprising a knife or scraper, a set of opposing brushes or padded blocks, mechanism for moving said initial set of opposing tools, said second set of opposing tools and said opposing brushes or blocks in succession named away from the gripping mechanism, the knife of the initial set being arranged to engage one side of the substance being treated, and the knife of the second set being arranged to engage the other side of said substance.

12. A machine of the class described comprising longitudinally extending and longitudinally movable jaws for feeding to the machine a fibrous leaf to be treated, longitudinally extending holding jaws arranged to receive and to grip the upperend of a leaf which depends from said feeding jaws, longitudinally extending decorticating members arranged to engage the depending leaf when gripped by said holding jaws and means for propelling said decorticating members downwardly along the leaf as it depends from and is gripped by said holding jaws.

This specification signed and witnessed this 7th day of November, A. D. 1913.

l/VNFELD S. GROVE.

Signed in the presence of- Gr. MCGRANN, D. HAROLD Bosn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

